Lolly Wolly Doodle opens distribution facility

Friday

Oct 4, 2013 at 2:52 PM

It didn't take long for children's clothing manufacturer Lolly Wolly Doodle to make use of a $20 million investment.

BY NASH DUNNThe Dispatch

It didn't take long for children's clothing manufacturer Lolly Wolly Doodle to make use of a $20 million investment.The company, which received the hefty pledge from the Revolution Growth Fund earlier this year, recently expanded its operations into a distribution facility just southwest of Lexington, founder and owner Brandi Tysinger Temple confirmed Friday.Temple said the investment helped to renovate and open the 80,000-square-foot facility on Old Hargrave Road, which will now house the company's shipping and fulfillment, order assembly, stock and sales operations.The company will still maintain its cutting, sewing and corporate offices on Piedmont Drive."We wanted to keep it here in Davidson County and keep it close to our other facility," Temple said of the distribution facility. "It was like splitting up families, so it was hard to do it in two different locations."Lolly Wolly Doodle added about 15 jobs in the past month at the distribution center, adding to an employee base of about 150 workers.Temple said the $20 million investment also assisted in jump-starting an expansion to its factory operations. The company is immediately hiring cutters and sewers, and prospective applicants can apply at the Piedmont Drive address, she said."It's been a whirlwind of about three years that just keeps going," Temple said. "What launched off the latest whirlwind was the $20 million investment in June. It enabled us to go ahead and get our new facility open and expand our factory."The distribution center, at 474 Old Hargrave Road near the Lexington Business Center, was built about 40 years ago and once housed several different businesses, said Burr Sullivan, president of the Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce.Sullivan said Temple could have located its new facility anywhere but chose to stay local."That says a lot about her character and commitment to her hometown," Sullivan said.The chamber of commerce will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new facility at noon Oct. 21."It's a good thing when we can take a vacant building and turn it into a revenue-producing property," Sullivan said. "It benefits everybody."Lolly Wolly Doodle started as a part-time venture run from Temple's garage. While she began making children's dresses to earn a little extra money, the company now creates more than 30,000 garments monthly, drawing the attention of high-profile investors and national media outlets.The Revolution Growth Fund, which was established by AOL founder Steve Case and other AOL executives, targeted Lolly Wolly Doodle after Temple and Case met during an entrepreneurship event in Chapel Hill last year.The company has also used the investment to upgrade its technology, Temple said. Lolly Wolly Doodle does not have a retail store and relies on Facebook and other social media platforms to market and sell its products. The company also has marketing and web staff in New York.Temple said back-end technology upgrades are essential to the business."It's enabled us to grow a little bit faster as well as keep up with revenues and maintain revenues," Temple said. "It helps us increase sales. We're going to offer some additional services and customization as well."Nash Dunn can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 227, or at nash.dunn@the-dispatch.com. Follow Nash on Twitter: @LexDispatchNash